My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
Parallel translations
- WEB My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart shall utter understanding.
- BSB My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.
- NKJV My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
- NASB My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
- NLT For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The psalmist promises words of wisdom and understanding. He speaks not idle talk but instruction grounded in God.
Overview
Like the wisdom literature of Proverbs, the speaker presents his message as 'words of wisdom' from a heart of 'understanding.' This frames the psalm as teaching meant to reshape how the hearer views life, wealth, and death. True wisdom, Scripture teaches, begins with the fear of the Lord and is fully revealed in Christ, in whom all wisdom is hidden.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 19:14Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
- Matt 12:35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
- Prov 22:20–21Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
- Prov 22:17Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
- Deut 32:2My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
- 2 Tim 3:15–17And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
- Job 33:3My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
- Job 33:33If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
- Ps 119:130The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
- Ps 37:30The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
- Ps 45:1My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
- Prov 4:1–2Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
- Prov 8:6–11Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
- Ps 104:34My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 49:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.